HOT: LITTLE CHANGE IN TREND SEEN NEXT 30 DAYS

A brief, weekend respite from the heat and humidity is over, and the "Dog Days of Summer" are here. The National Weather Service said seasonal temperatures and humidity levels likely will be around for a while.

The extended outlook for Saturday through Monday calls for highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s.

No rain is forecast Saturday or Sunday, but an approaching cool front is expected to generate thunderstorms throughout the state on Monday and bring slightly cooler temperatures the first part of the week.

Meanwhile, the weather service's 30-day outlook through mid-August for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois is hot and dry.

Over the weekend and the first part of the week, cooler and drier air held temperatures here to the mid- to upper-80s. On Monday, the humidity at the airport dropped to a low 36 percent.

The average temperature for the first 15 days of July was 3.6 degrees warmer than normal, said Al Robertson of the earth science department at Southeast Missouri State University.

Robertson said the average for the first half of the month was 82.7 degrees compared to the long-term average of 79.1.

Robertson said daily highs in the mid- to upper-90s, plus warm, humid nights during the first eight days of the month helped make the first half of July warmer than normal. The high during the first half of the month was 99 degrees, which tied the record high for July 1.

Robertson said this month is still mild compared to the first half of last July, which had four days of 100-degree-plus temperatures. On July 9 last year, the high for the year occurred when the mercury reached 102 degrees.

Robertson said rain for the past 15 days is ahead of the seasonal average thanks to four wet days. Rain at the airport now totals 2.07 inches compared to the long-term average of 1.55 inches.

On July 2, .46 of an inch of rain fell at the airport. The next day .58 of an inch was recorded. On July 8, .53 of an inch of rain fell, with a half-inch coming the next day. Long-term average rain for July is 3.13 inches, Robertson said.

He said rain this month has not been sufficient to replenish the topsoil, which is nearly depleted of moisture. Robertson said rain in June was nearly 3 inches below the long-term average.

"A lot of grasses with shallow roots are going dormant and turning brown because of insufficient moisture in the topsoil," he said. "They're starting to pull moisture from the subsoil, which is about 6 to 8 inches below the surface."

Robertson said July 11-20 is traditionally the warmest time of the year here, with a 10-day seasonal temperature average of 79.9 degrees.

This takes place during the middle of "Dog Days" from July 3 to Aug. 11). The term "Dog Days" denotes a generally stagnant summertime weather pattern marked by hot and dry conditions, with the sky and rising and setting sun partially obscured by a dense haze.